Aug 28, 2008 - 2:31 PM
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League commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated the Dallas Cowboys cornerback on Thursday, making the troubled player eligible for the start of the regular season.
Jones, who has asked not to be referred to as "Pacman" since the summer, has taken part in Dallas' organized team activities, training camp and preseason games.
"This is another step in the process," Jones said. "I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I understand my responsibilities to the Dallas Cowboys and the National Football League. Right now I just want to keep working hard so I can accomplish the goals that I have set for myself both on and off the field."
Goodell promised to have an official ruling by August 30 for the Cowboys and chose to allow the 24-year-old back into the league.
"Adam has worked hard to get to this point, but he also knows that there is still a lot of work ahead of him," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "He is fully aware of the opportunity that he has been given, and he knows that this is an ongoing process."
Jones, who was traded to Dallas from the Tennessee Titans during the offseason, originally was suspended indefinitely in April 2007 for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
On December 6, Jones pleaded no contest to a reduced charge in a Las Vegas strip club melee which preceded a triple shooting that left a man paralyzed.
It was one of six arrests for Jones since he was drafted with the sixth pick of the 2005 NFL draft by Tennessee.
Despite his litany of off-field problems, Jones could provide the Cowboys with a dynamic cover cornerback and an explosive weapon on special teams.
An All-Pro selection in 2006, Jones appeared in 15 games with the Titans that season, recording 51 tackles and four interceptions. He returned one of those picks for a touchdown and also emerged as one of the top punt returners in the league, averaging 12.9 yards and scoring three TDs in 34 attempts.
